Trying Moments
by Cherie Dee
Summary: Alternate Universe connected to my other stories: WMM, Matchmaker Misao, Realizations, etc... Two ambitious military officers hoping to advance their careers but could care less about their personal lives. How did Saitou and Tokio meet and marry?
1. Prologue

A/N: I was this (puts forefinger and thumb one inch apart) close to ending Close Distance. Which would mean the conclusion of the series. (Even though I still have to finish Sano and Megumi's love story which is about halfway done.) The AU series that I've written is very dear to me…and I'd hate to see it end. For some STRANGE reason, I wanted to explore Saitou and Tokio's characters and relationship more.

(I had to change the age of their kids which I'll fix in my already existing stories later…)

As for when this takes place…it could pretty much be anytime after Matchmaker Misao.

* * *

**Prologue**

"I'll be back Friday night," his wife announced.

"Do you hafta go, Mom?" a young voice in the backseat piped up.

"Tsuyoshi, you'll have so much fun with your cousins you won't even notice I'm gone," Tokio Takagi remarked cheerfully before sending her husband an amused look.

Hajime Saitou glanced in the rearview mirror to see his three sons, one currently occupied by his handheld system, one leaning forward in his chair, and the last one's attention out the window, watching the cars and scenery.

"What's Safraciso like?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Boy, you sure have a lot of questions today," Tokio declared.

"Takes after your side of the family," Saitou stated dryly.

"Hm." Tokio grinned before turning to face their sons in the backseat. "Tsutomu, you don't get dizzy playing that?"

The eldest son, just seven years old, shook his head and continued his button pushing.

After raising a skeptical brow, Tokio then turned to Tsuyoshi, who eagerly leaned forward to listen to his mother. "Well, San Francisco is very cold. You have to wear a jacket all the time."

"Or you get sick," Tsuyoshi added firmly, nodding his head once.

Tokio laughed.

"Not according to germ theory," Saitou stated.

"Don't make it complicated," Tokio chided gently. "Anyway…it's windy and cold. In the winter, sometimes ice covers cars and streets. But in the summer, it never gets hot."

"Never?"

"No, never."

"Sounds no fun," Tsutomu announced as he played.

"Well, it is for adults. Your father and I went on vacation there once," Tokio recalled.

"You bringing back presents?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"Of course!"

While his wife continued to talk about San Francisco, Saitou followed the signs to Honolulu Airport, and within a few minutes, had pulled over to the curb of a major airline flying to the mainland. As his wife said her goodbyes to their children, he popped the trunk and retrieved her carry-on rollaway.

She was only going to be at the medical conference in California for four days. It seemed like she packed enough to last her a week and a half.

Women.

He closed the trunk and lifted the handle up of her luggage.

"Bye, Tatsuo. You be good." She playfully tweaked the nose of the youngest one before saying firmly, "All of you be good for Dad, okay?"

"We will," Tsutomu's voice carried through the open window.

Tokio rose to her full height before giving her husband a smile. "If you need anything, you know where I'm staying."

"You're acting as if you've never gone away before," Saitou said.

"It has been a while," she agreed.

"I'll try not to burn the house down," he smirked.

She laughed softly before rising on tiptoes to kiss him on the lips.

"Oh yuck!" Tsutomu exclaimed from the car.

Saitou shook his head, transferring the luggage handle to her.

"I'll call you when I get there," she promised, giving him a quick hug.

One hand moved to her back, holding her to him for one brief moment before letting her go. He watched her enter the terminal before getting in the car and driving back towards Mililani.

000

"So Auntie made her flight?" Mari asked from across the table of the family café restaurant. She took a sip of her orange juice before handing her sister, Rin, a red crayon to color her kids' menu with.

Saitou took a drink from his coffee before answering, "She was at the airport two hours early." He glanced to his left side of the booth they sat in, frowning. "Tsutomu, turn that down."

His oldest, after a few seconds, pushed the pause button of his game system and adjusted the speaker volume.

"He's had that on since we left," Saitou muttered.

The girls couldn't help but grin at the concentrated face of their cousin as he played his game.

Mari and Rin were Tokio's nieces. Tokio and her sister were very close, and the nieces would often spend a part of their summer vacation visiting. Mari, the oldest, was thirteen, and Rin was eight. They were nice girls – and very self-sufficient. With Mari around, it seemed that he and Tokio hardly had to do anything when it came to the boys. Mari would easily play sports or fix them meals. She did those without ever asking. Her way of thanking the family to allow her to visit, she said.

Earlier this morning, the two girls had decided to sleep in while Saitou dropped off Tokio to the airport.

"Auntie doesn't travel a lot for work…Doesn't it seem weird when she's not around?" Mari asked the boys.

"Sometimes," Tsutomu said before Tsuyoshi could answer. "She fixes SPAM better than Dad."

"Do you know what you want to eat?" Saitou asked, deliberately ignoring his son's comment. How could anyone mess up SPAM, anyway? It wasn't as if it was real food.

Tsuyoshi pointed at a picture on his kid's menu. A chocolate chip pancake with a face on it made of whip cream and cherries. "I want this."

Tsutomu, who preferred things simple, settled for toast, bacon, and eggs.

A waitress came to take their orders before promptly delivering the information to the chef.

Mari helped her sister with a crossword puzzle before turning to him.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?"

"How did you and Auntie meet? Mom said she was always working a lot."

"Lots and lots," Rin echoed.

Mari giggled at her sister's statement before saying, "If she was always working…how'd she have time to meet people?"

Now that was something that had never been brought up during all the times Mari and Rin had visited. Saitou took a sip of his coffee again.

He and Tokio had been married what? A little over ten years? Had it been that long?

Rin had put her crayon down and, like her sister, stared at him with rapt attention. Even Tsutomu, who had been focused on his games for the last two or three hours, had managed to turn his eyes away from the small screen.

Instantly, he recalled the circumstances around their first meeting. It had been almost eleven years ago…just when Tokio had finished medical school…

* * *

(And this is all my muse will allow me to write for now because I have work tomorrow! Whee!) 


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Disclaimers and such...

This is fiction. For those who have never read any of the stories connected to this, I tried to make this whole AU as believable as possible. As a Navy brat, I feel it's important to at least make it 'look' authentic enough.

Some things of course probably couldn't happen or don't exist in real life, but it's for the excitement and progression of the story, so I humbly ask for your understanding.

Thank you!

Also...Many months ago, I read various fics containing several interpretations of Tokio's character. And I'm under the impression that it takes a special kind of woman to marry a man like Saitou, so hopefully, I won't fall into any stereotypical patterns.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

_Eleven years ago..._

**Several miles off the coast of San Diego, California...**

From his position towards the back of the amphibious assault ship, Lieutenant Hajime Saitou focused his eyes in the distance. They had left San Diego just a little over an hour ago.

It was routine. Several times a year, at least one ship for a whole week would have the job of carting around nearly seventy-five Navy families for a day long tour at sea. It was their way of conducting some PR. The more familiar the families became with Navy careers, the higher the morale.

He settled in a metal chair, adjusting his dark sunglasses over his amber eyes. He hated what had been dubbed 'Family Days'. Too many damn kids running around, poking into things, getting into accidents.

Ah well. Things could be worse.

Reaching into the left breast pocket of his khaki uniform, he pulled out a cigarette and after placing it between his lips, reached for his lighter. He shielded the flame from the wind as he lit before closing the lid of his lighter and tucking the item away. Saitou blew out a thin stream of smoke before staring out over the ocean again.

Family Day.

He sure as hell didn't belong here. If it hadn't been for his XO, his executive officer, he wouldn't even be on this damn ship. Not that he had a problem with ships.

Well, he did. Sea life wasn't for him. He'd only been in the Navy for seven years, but even then, he'd lived on nearly every type of craft that belonged to a standard fleet. Half a year at sea, half a year on land.

It was a way of life.

He blew out another trail of smoke before leaning back in his chair.

Volunteer work wasn't what he had in mind to do on a Saturday like this one. There were plenty of other ways a man could spend his time. But the Navy insisted on building strong relationships with family members and the community. Personnel were strong, but with family supporting their chosen careers, they were stronger.

Or so the pencil-pushing higher ups liked to think.

Which was why the commanding officer of the entire San Diego Navy region arranged for Family Week in the first place.

He shook his head, remembering the conversation he had on Tuesday morning when he had come in to work.

"This Saturday is the beginning of Summer Family Week," Commander Troy Shepard announced after Saitou had entered his office. "And I think you should be on the USS Richardson when it goes out."

"Why?"

"It'd be good experience for you. Almost all Navy personnel working out of 32nd try to help out in some way, shape or form," Shepard announced. "Family Week's important."

"To those with family," Saitou responded pointedly.

The XO rolled his eyes. "So what if you don't have family?" Shepard countered. "Volunteering is still important. The Navy isn't just about a career. It's about forming ties to the communities and people that support us. Any CO will gladly share his experiences when it comes to educating the community about what we do. And a good amount of the men who've made CO have taken some time aside to increase awareness. If you ever plan on becoming a commanding officer, it takes more than just having an outstanding career record and moving up in rank."

That had been the convincing factor for Saitou. Truth was, he did plan to become a commanding officer someday. And he already knew that it took more than just being good at his job. He had to be the best.

Being the best wasn't just being the best in your career. A good CO was the best at everything.

And that included dealing with families. Whether your own or someone else's.

He grimaced. At twenty-eight, he hadn't really thought about settling down. Too much traveling made it difficult to form relationships. Sure, lots of people managed it, but they differed than him since other Navy men made a conscious effort to find a woman and start a family.

One reason was because the enlisted men wanted to reap the benefits. More people to support, more allowance was given. Another reason…the officers married to move up in rank. While headquarters in DC decided how many promotions could be given, COs in the region would decide who would receive those promotions. Married men were better candidates – showed stability.

He glanced at his watch before extinguishing his cigarette. Time to check in with the XO and give the kids a small tour. Thank goodness Family Week only happened four times a year. And he was usually gone for at least three of those.

Saitou made his way towards the XO's office, his features schooled in a frown as he walked through the narrow hallways, ducking as he made his way through doors. When he reached a large wooden door, he knocked twice, waiting for permission to enter.

A call came through the door and Saitou pushed the door open and stepped into the small quarters. Medals hung from the walls, complemented by photographs of different Navy ships. His military training in place, Saitou stood at attention, waiting for the higher ranking officer to address him.

The XO studied him as he rose from his chair at his desk, his black hair smoothed away from his features, with several gray at the temples. He was a thin man, several inches shorter than Saitou's six-foot-two.

"I was told that you came here reluctantly," the XO stated.

Saitou remained quiet, silently cursing Commander Troy Shepard for talking too much and putting words in his mouth.

"Well?" the XO prompted.

"Kids and I don't mix," Saitou stated flatly.

"Well, you're going to have to make it mix some time," the XO responded, his features indicating his displeasure at Saitou's response. "There's a group of five children who were interested in seeing the surface weapons. Who better to show them than you?"

A buzzing sound entered the office. The XO pushed a button down on his phone.

"Yes?"

"Commander Takagi, the captain requests your presence on the bridge."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." Commander Takagi released the button before turning to Saitou. "Try to enjoy yourself, Lieutenant. Children grow on you the more you're around them."

Saitou studied him carefully. "All children?"

The other man cleared his throat. "You're dismissed."

Once out of the office, Saitou rolled his eyes and headed to another floor of the ship to begin his volunteer work…

0-0-

"You hated kids?" Tsuyoshi asked, his dark eyes wide with shock.

Saitou leaned back in his seat. "I never said that."

"But the XO thought you did. So did Uncle Matsu," Tsuyoshi pointed out, referring to their mother's older brother.

Matsu Takagi, now a retired Navy captain, had made it a point to share all his sea duty stories to his nephews. Interestingly enough, he'd left _this_ particular one out. It was as if he knew that it was one his sister and brother-in-law would like to share on their own.

Tsutomu frowned, his pale eyes, exactly like his father's, narrowing slightly. "So what? I don't like some kids."

Tsuyoshi turned to his older brother, his jaw dropping in surprise. "That's mean!"

Saitou glanced to his right, seeing his youngest straining in his chair, reaching for a crayon that had fallen into the booth. He retrieved the item for him and Tatsuo happily began to draw away on his paper kids' menu.

"So what happened, Uncle?" Rin asked, interrupting Tsutomu and Tsuyoshi's arguments...

0-0-

Saitou had given the grand tour of the control room that displayed all the weapon schematics. And he'd shown them the actual weapons themselves, up close and personal. Nothing with live fire, of course. There were a lot of questions and he hadn't really been in the mood to answer. So he had answered about half of them and the other half he answered vaguely, which discouraged more questions.

At least for about a minute. Until another kid got curious and asked something like why people get hurt when they're hit by missiles.

Once he was done, he brought the children back to the bridge and walked to his previous smoking spot. The ship was scheduled to dock in San Diego in about two hours.

Good.

He couldn't wait to get home, take a shower, and go around town doing things he _should_ be doing.

Saitou quickly lit up another cigarette, his eyes trailing back towards the direction they had come from as he sat in the same metal chair he had occupied earlier.

Kids.

They weren't all bad. But some could just be plain obnoxious. He could remember the horror on some parents' faces as their children started mouthing off like they owned the place. He never understood why some parents would let their children get so out of control. What ever happened to respecting elders?

As the sea breeze picked up, he frowned, realizing that he should have brought his jacket out.

Then Saitou glanced up to study the cloud formations above his head.

San Diego weather was pleasant this time of year – the sky was a bright blue with only thin trails of clouds.

His frown deepening, he carefully got up and walked towards the rail of the ship, looking down at the murky waters below.

The ship's speed had increased.

Saitou peered up at the bridge, and from his vantage point he could see through the bridge's window, two men, the captain and someone he didn't know engaged in discussion. And not a nice one, judging by the body language. And in the background, the XO speaking just as adamantly. The stranger immediately brought up his hand and held it towards the others.

A...gun?

Saitou immediately pressed himself up against the metal wall, before peering around it to see the captain jerk and quickly fall to the floor, away from view.

The XO immediately brought his hands to his head in shock.

The captain had just been shot.

At that moment, a burly man dressed in civilian clothes made his way just outside the bridge, patrolling on the small catwalk surrounding the control center of the ship.

A male voice immediately came over loud speaker.

"Attention, crew and guests of the USS Richardson. You're under a new chain of command. You do as my men say, and no one gets hurt."

Saitou tossed his cigarette aside, his eyes narrowing to slits.

He'd be lucky...hell...the whole damn crew and their visitors would be lucky if they got back to San Diego at all.

0-0-

"So some guys were fighting in front of Uncle Matsu?" Tsuyoshi asked. "What were they fighting about?"

"I couldn't hear it," Saitou stated.

"So that's it?" Tsuyoshi asked, leaning forward in the booth. "You saw the captain yelling with somebody? He didn't tell him to go away?"

A wry smile came to Saitou's features. "I don't think he was in a position to be ordering people to go away."

"So did you find out why they were arguing?" Tsutomu asked.

"I'm getting to that," Saitou responded patiently.

"Where's Auntie in this story?" Rin asked.

To which Saitou replied, after a sip of his coffee, "I'm getting to that, too." He cleared his throat. "So…I decided to head back to the bridge..."

* * *

A/N again: Heh. And yes, Saitou's story is going to be severely censored due to sex and violence. (grins) 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Skipper, you all right?" Commander Matsu Takagi asked quietly, after making his way to his superior officer.

Captain Connor Reilly was on the ground, fiercely clutching his left shoulder as blood seeped through his clothing. His featured tightened and he glanced at the XO before looking at their attackers.

Three men all in civilian clothing. All carrying small weapons pointed at them. How did this happen? Family Day was supposed to be a happy time…they've never had to worry about a situation like this. During all his years of supporting it, he'd never had to deal with this.

Slowly sitting upright, he glanced at several of the children on the bridge, all who had gone very pale. Some were with their parents, holding on to their hands, in shock at the situation.

Reilly took a deep breath, wincing.

The one who appeared to be in charge of the whole operation, who had announced that the ship had been taken over, went to the window and tapped on the glass. The man outside on patrol came in within a few minutes.

The leader looked at the Reilly and Takagi, his eyes in thought. He had a medium build, with the shadow of a beard on his features.

"It is to my understanding that this particular ship has a new type of technology that is being tested," the leader spoke up. "You two…" He pointed to the captain and the XO, "…what can you tell me about this?"

The captain glanced at the XO before shaking his head. "Just upgraded radar systems. A…press release was sent out about two weeks ago."

The leader studied him for a second before picking up a clipboard and studying it. "It says you have sixty guests listed on this roster for today's visit," he said, glancing back at the captain and XO.

Takagi felt his breath catch in his throat and he swallowed fiercely.

The leader moved towards them and squatted down in their direct line of vision. "How many of these visitors would it take to convince you to tell me the truth?"

It took all of Commander Takagi's willpower not to flinch.

The leader gestured to one of his men and pointed to something on the clipboard. "Perhaps we can use this as leverage…"

His lackey nodded in understanding and promptly left.

0-0-

The halls of the ship were narrow, giving one barely any room to hide. Saitou carefully made his way around, listening for the sounds of footsteps.

How did the ship get taken over in the first place? A large group had to be running this in order to make sure that everyone on board wouldn't retaliate.

He needed to think. In a delicate situation like this…people would do anything. But take over a ship?

Saitou reached the corridor leading to the CO and XO's offices. About ten feet away, standing with his back facing him, a man dressed in civilian clothing yawned and stretched his arms over his head before securing his semi-automatic strapped around his torso.

Damn.

Here he was without a weapon.

Saitou turned another way, determined to find another way around the floor. Until he spotted the XO's office door opened a crack. Glancing around to make sure the hall was clear, he leaned towards the door, listening in for voices.

Nothing.

He quietly pushed open the door and peered inside.

No one.

The office was empty.

Wait.

Something…was off.

Closing the door as silently as he opened it, he trained his ears to listen. This office contained very important information and items. Hopefully something their attackers hadn't realized just yet.

The click of metal echoed within the walls and he felt his breath stall in his lungs.

0-0-

"Uncle?"

Saitou looked across the table to see that Mari was staring at him.

"You were quiet for a while, Dad," Tsutomu spoke up. "You space out or something?"

"Or something," Saitou murmured. Exactly how much of this tale was he going to keep and omit? He and Tokio knew that at some point their children would ask how they met. And while together, they had come up with what to say…they had never really practiced it.

"So when did you meet Mom?" Tsuyoshi asked.

His father smirked at the question. Saitou could still clearly remember the scenario…it was as vivid in his mind as if it had only happened the day before...

0-0-

"Who are you?" a voice demanded.

Saitou turned to see the black chamber of a handgun held securely between two slender hands propped on the desk. And behind that…a pair of startled but determined brown eyes. He couldn't see much else thanks to her position behind the desk.

She was taught well. He almost hadn't noticed her.

"I asked you a question," she spoke up.

"Are you with them?" he asked instead.

Those eyes narrowed slightly. "Answer the question, Lieutenant."

So she could tell by the bars on his uniform his rank. Experience dealing with people told him that she had no intention of shooting. Not until she was threatened. And since she was currently at the advantage, he decided not to push her.

Much.

"Lady first," he replied, briefly smiling at the annoyance in her eyes.

"I don't owe you any information."

"Neither do I," he declared. Then he shrugged, "But since you're the one with a weapon…Lieutenant Hajime Saitou."

"ID?" she prompted.

Of course she would have asked that. He slowly reached into his right pocket and pulled out his wallet, extracting a small plastic card with green and white pattern before tossing it onto the desk.

Carefully, with her weapon still trained on him, she got to her knees and reached for the card, glancing at it before looking at him again.

"Considering what's going on right now, anyone found in the XO's office is suspicious," he mused aloud.

She reached down to the floor, and he heard the sound of a zipper opening along with some shifting sounds. She then tossed her beige wallet towards him, which he caught one-handed. Flipping it open, the first thing he noticed was her driver's license, tucked in a clear slot. Other compartments were for holding credit cards and cash. He noticed that she only had two credit cards. One for a major company and one for gas.

Tokio Takagi.

"Any relation to the XO?" he asked before tossing the wallet back on the desk.

"My brother. You know him?"

Ah, so the XO had more than just his child on board. He had a sister as well. It was common on Family Days for officers to bring their siblings. "I met him earlier today to check in for my assignment," Saitou stated. He nodded towards the desk. "Read the schedule."

She lowered her eyes to the clipboard on her brother's desk before turning back to him again. "Weapons tour?"

He shrugged. "Show kids how we shoot on this ship and what we shoot with."

Her mouth parted in surprise. "You're serious."

"It's not something I would joke about." His eyes hardened slightly. "Someone has taken over this ship and who knows what they're going to do the longer they have control. There's a man standing guard just fifteen feet away from here…you're lucky he hasn't come this way yet."

Taking a deep breath, she lowered the weapon, setting it on the desk. "So you have a plan?"

Taking it as a sign that she was going to trust him, he moved towards the XO's desk and to the computer console.

"Didn't your brother bring his daughter on board?" He asked as he turned on the system.

She closed her eyes briefly, letting out a breath. "My niece. She was…with several other Navy kids and their parents."

"And where are they?"

"I…I'm not sure," she answered quietly. "When the announcement was made, I was just on my way from the mess hall…this was the only place I could think of to go at the time."

"It almost would have worked if you closed the door properly," he pointed out.

Something flashed in her eyes before she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not used to Navy ships."

"Obviously."

"Look, if you have a plan, then do it. Pointing out my mistake is getting us nowhere." He couldn't miss the irritation in her voice.

"Any idea what your brother's password would be?" Saitou asked as he settled in the leather chair, fingers paused over the keyboard.

"Hacking into my brother's system is your plan?"

He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "It's faster than my way."

"No, I don't know the password."

Saitou shook his head and typed several commands and prompts. This was going to take a few minutes. The woman moved away, studying the photographs the XO had hung on the wall.

He continued to work until after seven minutes, he was able to sit back. Saitou took the time to observe his companion. She was tall and slender, probably around five-six or five-seven. Straight black hair fell just to her shoulders, held half up and away from her face with a wide silver clip. It parted on the left side of her forehead, with several long bangs falling towards her right eye. Her gray blouse had sleeves that went just past her elbows, and it fit to her frame. Dark blue jeans hugged her hips and flared slightly at her ankles.

Once the computer monitor showed a display map of the local area, he quickly sat up straight.

She must have noticed his movement and went to stand next to the desk. "What is this?"

"A new technology the Navy's testing. Not only can the captain and XO tell what ships are nearby, they can control everything on the ship. Weapons, heading…all from their own office."

Tokio stared at him. "How do you know that?"

"Because I sent the approval for it to be installed on here."

"This isn't what they're after, is it?"

"I haven't asked them," he said dryly.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll rephrase. What else on this ship would drive them to take over?"

"This is one," he gestured to the screen. "Revenge…Some need for attention…anything, really." He studied the screen for several moments before he typed in a command that brought up another screen. After typing in again, he sat back, done with his work.

"Now what?"

"In five minutes, the Coast Guard will be in our line of sight. I've disabled the weapons, but it'll only be a matter of time before our 'hosts' find out."

"How are you going to get their attention?"

He paused slightly. "Do you know Morse Code?"

She nodded quickly.

"How are you when it comes to working with electronics?"

"Why?"

"Chances are our hosts are monitoring every radio call within a certain mile radius." He typed in a command to bring up the map of the ship. "I can neutralize our hosts…you can send out a message to the Coast Guard."

"What does this have to do with electronics?" she asked.

He zoomed in on a particular room on the ship, right beneath the bridge. "This contains the controls for the lights on deck. And here...for the lights on top of the bridge."

Immediately, she guessed his train of thought. "You want me to use the lights and Morse code." She lifted two arched brows. "And you're going to play hero. What are you, a Navy SEAL?"

"Hell no." He immediately got up and snatched the gun off the desk. "I'll take you to the lights before I work on getting the XO and captain back."

0-0-

"So that's it?" Tsutomu asked. "You thought Mom was poking around Uncle's office and that's how you met?"

Saitou arched a brow. "I didn't know that they were related until I asked for her ID, remember?"

"Well, yeah…"

Thankfully, their server arrived to take their orders. Once everything was settled, Saitou sat back, watching his three-year-old son doodle random objects on paper.

His light eyes shifted to catch his niece staring at him, her expression clearly saying she was slightly dissatisfied with the story. "Yes?" he prompted.

"So it wasn't love at first sight?" Mari asked.

What were girls watching these days, anyway? Too many of those damn animated movies with princesses, probably. Love at first sight? Ha.

"No, it wasn't."

Rin pursed her lips. "Did you like Auntie at all?"

Saitou arched a brow at that question before saying, "You need to know someone before you like them."

"You didn't think Auntie was pretty? Boys in school when they think a girl is pretty they'll talk to them all the time."

Hmm. Kids sure were getting a head start these days when it came to relationships. Back in his day boys only cared about sports and toys.

"I didn't notice how she looked when we first met," he admitted, shrugging.

All he had cared about was doing what needed to be done and getting everyone home.

Back then, after he had escorted Tokio to her designated spot, he had gone to the bridge. The XO had managed to take down the leader, but after a brief…very brief…interrogation by Saitou, the leader had revealed the locations of his crew on board. And Saitou's guess about revenge had been right. Apparently, the leader's oldest brother died while working overseas when his submarine sank. The man had been disillusioned…angry…and had used the opportunity to sneak on board.

After making sure that the captain would be seen by a doctor, Saitou and the XO had split up to take down the rest of the hostiles on board. One of them had been a female and had come across Tokio while patrolling. It didn't take long for the XO's younger sister to knock the wind out of her assailant. Once she was done, Tokio volunteered to make sure all the guests for Family Day who weren't near any hostiles would be accounted for.

And that had been the last he saw of her.

At least for a few weeks.

"So what happened? How did you meet Auntie again?" Rin asked.

"I met her a few weeks later, thanks to coincidence."

"Thanks to what?" Tsuyoshi frowned at the word.

Instead of offering an explanation to his son, his niece beat him. Always patient with Tsuyoshi and his twenty questions, Mari explained, "It means by chance. Like you accidentally ran into her again, right Uncle..?"


End file.
